


Kissing Snakes

by HamHamHeaven



Series: Tokyo Menagerie [2]
Category: Anli Pollicino, D-OUT (Band), Jrock, LEZARD (Band), R指定 | R-Shitei, SuG (Band), vistlip
Genre: Bisexual Hirotaka (R-Shitei), Bisexual Natsume (LEZARD), Bullying, Convergent Evolution, Doormouse TACC (LEZARD), Hare Yuh (vistlip), High School Sweethearts Umi/Yuh (vistlip), Homophobia, M/M, Mongoose Shindy (Anli Pollicino), Non-Primate Humans, Snake Hirotaka (R-Shitei), Snake Natsume (LEZARD), Snake Reika (D-OUT), Snake Umi (vistlip), Sparrow Takeru (SuG), Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-05-27 22:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15034637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HamHamHeaven/pseuds/HamHamHeaven
Summary: How four serpentine siblings found love.





	1. Umi/Yuh

**Author's Note:**

> For the DM VKYaoi community "be the first" June challenge. All but D=Out are untagged fandoms in the community.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He’d thought he’d known what was coming when he arrived at school that day to find an extra desk set beside his own.  A new student.  Getting a new classmate part-way through the year wasn’t terribly common, but it wasn’t entirely unheard of either.  Nine-year-old Umi and the other students eyed the desk with interest, forming little clusters to eagerly speculate what sort of person it would be.

They didn’t have to wait long to find out.

The bell for first session sounded, and Takahashi Sensei entered followed by a lanky boy with a mop of dark hair hanging into his face.

“Everyone,” Sensei called their attention, “This is your new classmate Okayama Yuh.  He and his family have just returned from living in Germany.  I want you all to be very kind and helpful to him as he’s becoming familiar with the school, ne?”

“Yes, Sensei!” a chorus of voices responded.

Umi’s wasn’t one of them.  He couldn’t get his throat to cooperate, even though he whole-heartedly agreed with the idea of being kind and helpful to the new boy.  This _beautiful_ new boy standing nervously at the front of the classroom, greeting them shyly in his halting German accent.  Umi had never really thought of boys as beautiful before, but that was really the only appropriate word to describe Yuh. 

Umi allowed his glasses to slide down his nose a little so that he could get a proper, unfiltered look.  Yuh’s body thrummed with the heat of his frantic pulse, tip of his nose quivering, teeth working nervously over his lower lip: a rabbit ready to run.

“Yuh-kun, that empty desk there beside Umi-kun will be yours.  Go take your seat, please.”

Umi was so excited he could barely contain himself.  That is, until Yuh’s gaze came to rest on Umi, and his face went deathly pale.

Umi tried not to take it personally.  It was only natural for usagi to be mistrustful of hebi.  His other classmates had been wary of him at first, too; even the primates who didn’t recognize him for what he was had sensed danger.  They’d all learned not to fear him soon enough; Yuh would too.  Umi would see to that!

“Is something wrong, Yuh-kun?” Sensei inquired.

“N-no, Sensei,” he stuttered.

Yuh performed an awkward sort of bow and shuffled over to the empty seat.  Umi offered a friendly smile, but Yuh scooted his chair as far away from Umi as he could get while still being under the desk and stared resolutely at the textbook that lay before him.  Umi also moved his chair, sliding in the opposite direction to allow Yuh as much distance as he could.

_I’m not going to hurt you_ , he thought.  _I’ll make you see; there’s no reason to be scared._

 

By the end of Yuh’s first week, Umi found himself in a precarious position.  He was, in general, an obedient son, and his mother was forever reminding him and his brothers that they must not do or say _anything_ that would arouse suspicions anywhere a primate might be watching.

_Primates don’t understand about us, and people become irrational and afraid when something they don’t understand happens._

However, suspicions were already being aroused by what Takahashi Sensei considered impermissibly stubborn behaviour on the part of his new classmate, and Umi watched the now-familiar scene unfolding before him as he tried to reason, in as logical a manner as a nine-year-old could, just exactly what he ought to do to avoid disaster. 

The trouble was food.  At this school, the students participated in meal preparation as part of their nutrition and health class, and everyone ate the same thing.  For the first two days of lessons, there hadn’t been a problem because the meals they’d prepared featured eggs and tofu as their respective protein sources. 

But Wednesday’s lunch had included meatballs.  Yuh had pushed them around his tray a bit and stuck to the rice, salad, and soup.  The teacher hadn’t been pleased.  Thursday had been fish.  Yuh had frowned down at it as he gobbled up his spinach and tomatoes.  Again, he’d been scolded for being finicky.  Today’s protein was a piece of tempura chicken.

“Yuh-kun,” Sensei chastened mildly, “I know this food may not be quite what you were used to in Germany, but you cannot continue to be wasteful.  You must learn to eat what is placed before you gratefully.”

Yuh’s face was turned downward toward his lap as Takahashi-san spoke.  Umi didn’t need to be able to see his classmate’s face to taste the salt of tears on the air.  It made him angry.  Yuh wasn’t a spoiled brat who wasted what he didn’t care for.  Anyone ought to have seen that!  _Something_ needed to be done before it was too late: before she committed the unpardonable sin of making Yuh cry.

“He can’t eat it, Sensei,” Umi explained, frustration spurring him.  “It will make him sick.”

Takahashi Sensei gave Umi a startled look; she hadn’t noticed the two boys conversing at all.  How would he know such a thing?  Her gaze returned to Yuh.

“Do you have an allergy?” she asked.

“No,” he’d replied meekly.

“Then eat your lunch.”

“He can’t!” Umi repeated a bit more urgently.  “He’s….”

_He’s a rabbit._

Umi couldn’t say _that_.  Not to Sensei, who was primate.  Not with so many of their primate classmates listening in.  But what _could_ he say?  What reason could he give that would make her stop trying to get Yuh to eat the meat?

“He’s…?” she prompted, annoyance tinging her voice.

“He’s… Buddhist!” Umi struck upon the word in a flash of brilliance.   “Vegetarian,” he added, so that she couldn’t misunderstand what he meant.  “He’s not allowed to eat meat at all.  Are you, Yuh-kun?”

Yuh peaked up at him through long, wet lashes, a mixture of awe and wariness in his expression.  Umi stared back earnestly, willing the other boy to go along with the story he’d concocted.

“Is that true, Yuh-kun?”

“I… yes, it’s true,” he murmured softly.  “I’m not supposed to eat meat.”

The teacher sighed in exasperation.

“Your parents should have informed us of that when you were enrolled.”

“They… probably forgot,” explained Yuh apologetically.  “I always ate my lunch at home before.”

The teacher returned to her desk to finish her own meal and write a letter to Yuh’s parents about the situation.  Meanwhile, Yuh discretely wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve and gave Umi a timid smile.

“If you want my salad,” Umi offered gallantly, “I’ll trade you for the chicken.  Vegetables aren’t much use to… someone like me.”

He gave Yuh a cautious look, wondering if that kind of reminder of what he was would scare the other boy off again.  Instead, Yuh’s cheeks went a pretty shade of pink, and the tip of his nose twitched.

“O-okay.  Trade.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** A guitarist/guitarist pairing. What has the world come to?! The sky is falling. Hamu must be coming down with something. But they're so [cute](https://youtu.be/-XC9YJVPYxI) together, I can't help it!  
>  **2)** I also said that 2+3=1 wasn't going to spawn a new !verse, didn't I? Yeah, I'm a liar.  
>  **3)** The classroom layout I envision is something similar to [this](http://dailyedventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/classroom-e1336363116770.jpg).


	2. Umi/Yuh, part 2

Like many teens, Umi enjoyed sports.  His eyesight prevented his participation in most of them, but that didn’t bother him much, since his favourite pastime by far was watching Yuh play football.   Being a rabbit, Yuh had the perfect physique for running up and down the pitch for hours on end.  Combined with an aptitude for tactics and a willingness to share the glory rather than trying to claim the limelight all for himself, Yuh had been made co-captain his very first year.

Umi attended every match, no matter what the weather, wearing a scarf in the school colours to which he (with his mother’s help) had attached Yuh’s jersey number.  Some of the girls in their class had giggled about it behind his back at first, though nothing was said to his face, but by the time they were sixteen, no one took notice anymore.

The final game of that season was against the school’s biggest rival and the match Yuh had been looking forward to most.  He’d been planning, strategizing, sketching plays, running drills, and generally driving everyone slightly crazy with his obsession.  Even Umi, who generally found his best friend’s enthusiasm adorably endearing, was reaching his limit.

The afternoon was cool and crisp, sky pale with grey clouds.  Umi made sure to arrive early and claim the perfect seat: three rows up near the goal the opponents would be tending the second half of the match.  It was just as well he had, as the stands soon filled to overflowing with students, teachers, and parents.  The game itself went exactly the way such a rivalry game should go – a battle right to the end with Yuh scoring the winning goal seconds before the clock ran out.  Everyone cheered, and though Umi’s voice wasn’t the loudest, his was certainly the most heartfelt.  The crowd surged out onto the field to congratulate, hugs and handshakes and high fives abounding.

“Umi!” Yuh’s excited voice called out to him above the din.

A tall, dark streak came barrelling toward him, and Umi barely had time to register the look of pure joy on Yuh’s face before he was being picked up and spun around in an exuberant embrace.  Umi clung to him tightly, unsure what else to do.  Yuh had never hugged him like that before.  Brief one-armed hugs and pats on the back, yes, but never… holding him without any residual fear or hesitation.

Umi closed his eyes and savoured it.

“You were amazing, Yuh,” he murmured lovingly into his best friend’s ear.  “You’re always so amazing.”

Yuh’s pulse was racing.  Well, that was hardly a surprise after such a hard-fought contest.  He was drenched in perspiration, too, but there was something… unfamiliar in his scent.  Something heady and potent that made Umi’s stomach wriggle.  Then suddenly Yuh’s lips were pressed sweetly to his own, so soft and warm, and Umi understood what he’d been tasting.

_Desire._

“Yuh,” he moaned as breathlessly as if he’d been the one doing all the running.

Yuh’s fingers eagerly pressed into the muscles of his back, drawing him in for another.  Then he stepped away a bit, smiling shyly.

“I… have to go shower off,” Yuh said almost apologetically.  “Wait for me?”

Umi nodded.

“Sure.”

Umi watched Yuh retreat toward the locker rooms, licking his lips to savour Yuh’s taste lingering there.

 

Yuh stripped off his uniform and rushed through his shower as fast as he could, desperate to return to Umi’s side.  He hadn’t intended to kiss Umi; it had just happened.  There he’d been, basking in Umi’s warm approval, and he’d just… given in to an urge that had been lurking under the surface for quite some time, if he were honest with himself.  Now he needed to talk to Umi and make sure that impulse hadn’t been a mistake.

He threw on his trousers and knit pullover, tossed his sweat-drenched gear into the bin, and was just shoving his feet into his sneakers when the voice of his coach checked his hasty retreat.

“Okayama!”

“Sensei?”

The older man motioned the student to one side, so Yuh grabbed his knapsack and hastened over.

“We’ve had some complaints.”

Yuh scowled.

“I never touched that sweeper!  The referee was standing right there.  If I had, he would have….”

“I don’t mean about the game,” the coach interrupted brusquely.  “I managed to smooth over your behaviour with the parents for now.  Told them you forgot yourself in the excitement – that you’d been raised in foreign parts and picked up all sorts of strange habits.  But if you want a spot on this team next year, you’d better learn how to keep your _European_ celebrations private.  We don’t tolerate that sort of thing here.”

All of the blood drained from Yuh’s face.  He _had_ forgotten himself in the thrill of the win.  He hadn’t even considered who might have seen the kiss. 

“M-may I go now, Sensei?” he asked.

The coach gave a grunt of assent, and Yuh darted toward the exit, thoughts in turmoil.

_Had he ruined things before they’d even begun with his public display?_

Being with Umi made Yuh _so_ happy, and kissing Umi had made him feel invincible.  He wanted more of that feeling.  But if parents were upset and complaining over a simple kiss, how would they react to anything else?  What would Umi’s parents think?  How were his own parents going to respond? 

Umi was still waiting for him when he returned; he was seated in his usual spot, knees drawn to his chest against the cold.  Yuh hesitated as he drew nearer, and Umi, devoted as he was to Yuh, instantly sensed that something was wrong.

“Yuh, are you okay?  Are you hurt?” he asked, jumping off the bench and rushing over.

Yuh shook his head and bit his lower lip, too worried to meet Umi’s gaze.  The hopeful excitement that had been bubbling in Umi’s chest suddenly went cold.

_Did Yuh regret what happened?  Had Umi done something to frighten him off?_

That thought nearly broke his heart.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Yuh shook his head more vigorously this time.

“Of course not.”

“So you regret the kiss,” concluded Umi miserably.

Yuh absolutely did not regret it.  But with his coach’s words ringing in his ears, he began to wonder whether he _ought_ to.  He was putting himself _and_ Umi in a precarious position.  He could lose his place on the team.  One or both of their parents could disown them.  The entire world might turn its back on them.

Still, if Umi was by his side, would he really even care?

“I… guess that depends,” he said at last.

“On?”

“On how you feel about it.  If you want, it could just be…” he gave a mirthless laugh, “Me ‘being European’.”

Umi grimaced.

“Or?”

Yuh examined his best friend closely: someone he’d come to know so well and adore so much.

“Be my boyfriend.”

Umi’s reply came in the form of arms wrapping firmly around him and hungry lips meeting his own.

~~~~

“What’s that smile about?” queried Yuh as he settled himself comfortably for the night.

Umi turned his eyes from the shadowy ceiling to his lover’s quizzical face.

“Just thinking,” he replied.

“About?”

“Our first kiss.”

Yuh blushed and gave Umi’s abdomen a light smack.

“Of all things….”

“Of all things, that’s one of my favourite memories!” Umi declared with cheerful sincerity.  “Having the love of my life throw himself at me unreservedly was astonishing.  And then the lust flaring through your scent?  Gods, Yuh, the thought still drives me wild.  The way you smell, the way you _taste_ when you want me.”

Yuh’s blush darkened.

“Go to sleep, you idiot.”

“Ich liebe dich,” professed Umi in mangled German.

Yuh rolled his eyes, but gave his partner a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Four chapters," they said. "It will only be four chapters." And like a dope, I believed them.


	3. Reika/Takeru

“Oh, yeah?  Well, I don’t _need_ your approval, and I wouldn’t go on living here if it were the last house on earth!”

Twenty-four-year-old Reika pulled the collar of his coat closer around his ears and tried to ignore the angry scrap of a guy shouting up at the door of a nearby house.  It wasn’t any of his business what went on with Kouki’s neighbours.  Not even cute, spunky neighbours who were storming his direction.  Reika kept to the shadows, not exactly hiding, but not doing anything to make his presence felt either.  That was, until the young man sagged down on the short stone wall surrounding one of the adjacent properties and burst into tears.

Well, shit.

Reika took a step closer so that he could get a better look.  The young man’s hair was a mottle of different shades of brown: highlights and lowlights, some might call it.  He had tucked his knees beneath himself and was crying loud hiccupping sobs, face buried under one arm.  And despite the chill of the late-autumn night, he wore nothing but a thin jacket.  All in all, he gave the impression of a bedraggled little sparrow.

“Uhm… hey?”

Immediately, the stranger froze.

“Everything okay?” Reika continued.

“Obviously,” the boy scoffed, wiping his face savagely.  “Marvellous.  Perfect.  Couldn’t be b-better.”

Reika took a seat on the wall as well.  Not _too_ close – he’d long since learned how quickly people recoiled from him when he got too close.  An intuitive awareness of the risk he posed.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” the wrathful young man blustered to cover his crying.

“My name’s Reika,” he replied calmly, “And I’m supposed to be meeting up with a friend of mine.  Maybe you know him – Kuchimoto Kouki?  Tall blond tree of a fellow?”

The guy gave a snort of laughter, and Reika smiled in return.

“Yeah, I know the tree.  Perched there a time or two.”

Reika wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that, so he let the comment pass.

“Do you have a name?” he asked instead.

His companion cocked his head, eyes sharp and watchful.

“Takeru,” he offered at last.

“Takkun!” Kouki’s voice called out a warm greeting. “What are you doing hanging out here?  And with Reika of all people!  Hello, Reikkun.  I didn’t know you and Takeru knew each other.”

“We didn’t until about two minutes ago,” Reika greeted Kouki with a firm handshake.

“Oh, well!” Kouki grinned.  “We’re all friends now.  Feel like coming out with us Takkun?  We’re going to… where _are_ we going tonight, Reikkun?”

“Doesn’t matter where you’re going,” Takeru interrupted.  “I’m in.”

He cast a sharp glance back over his shoulder toward the house he’d been shouting at before squaring his shoulders and turning resolutely away.

 

Kouki noticed without Reika having to tell him that Takeru was having a bad night.  As such, he insisted they begin the festivities with karaoke.  Had they been alone, Reika might have protested, but Kouki’s eager declaration that “Takkun loves to sing” kept his mouth shut.  Takeru did indeed love to sing and was extremely talented from what Reika could tell – his own appreciation for music being from the perspective of a listener rather than as a performer. 

Kouki refused to allow anyone to be passive, though, and some friendly provocation from the other two eventually persuaded Reika to attempt a rap.  The result was hilariously awful, and Reika decided he’d subject himself to any amount of humiliation in order to make Takeru laugh.

Plans with Kouki were such that no matter where the evening started, it always ended at Hanamizakura bar.  Always.  Even when the people he was with weren’t legally old enough to drink yet.  Of course, Reika didn’t realize that Takeru was only 19 until they’d already had a couple of beers each, at which point it was too late to have his objections taken seriously.

The new setting seemed to improve Takeru’s mood still further, while simultaneously dampening Reika’s.  Adorable Takeru, face flushed and eyes sparkling, accepted free drinks and flirted with handsome strangers and bartenders alike, preening under the attention and flattery thrown his way.  Reika didn’t interfere, but he kept a sharp eye on the younger man, worried that the misery he’d witnessed earlier that evening would rear its head once sufficient alcohol had been ingested. 

Kouki was no help on that account; he’d found himself a petite blond with doe eyes and pouting lips and was entirely engrossed.

 _Wonder if that’s what Takeru meant by ‘perching’,_ Reika thought sullenly as he watched the boy snuggle up to Kouki’s much larger frame.

As if in answer to his silent query, a cheeky little bird suddenly landed in his lap, tittering merrily.  Reika didn’t think anything of it at first, assuming that Takeru was too tipsy to worry whether his chosen roost was already occupied.  Then Takeru’s hand began to slide sensually across Reika’s chest.

“A-are you… cold, Takkun?”

That had to be the reason Takeru had nestled his head on Reika’s shoulder.  Never mind that the bar was as crowded as an anthill.

 “You’ve been staring, Reika-san,” Takeru chirped, warm breath tickling along Reika’s neck.

“S-s-staring?” Reika’s voice came out in a low hiss.

“Eyeing me like you want to eat me up.”

 _Had he?_ Reika hadn’t meant to, though there was no denying that he found Takeru incredibly attractive.

“Sorry.”

“How about instead of pretending to be sorry, you make it worth my while?”

Reika hesitated, even as his hand stroked its way down Takeru’s spine.  Such a delicate little bird.  Fragile.  And not just his bones.

“I’m… not sure that’s such a good idea, Takkun.”

Takeru had no patience for Reika’s prudence.  He leaned in, stealing a kiss.  Reika gasped in surprise, and Takeru’s tongue darted out to tease him, grazing over the ridge of his lower teeth

“Careful!” Reika exclaimed.

“Why?” argued Takeru coyly.  “Are you poisonous?”

“Venomous,” Reika corrected automatically.

Takeru stiffened for a moment, then leaned back to gape at him.

“If you bite it and you get sick, it’s poisonous.  If it bites you and you get sick, it’s venomous,” explained Reika with a wry expression.

“Venomous,” Takeru whispered.

Takeru stared into Reika’s eyes, and for the briefest moment, he saw the gold-ringed, slitted pupils of the viper he’d welcomed into his wings.  Dangerous!  He saw it now; Reika was _so_ dangerous.  But Takeru had just been kicked out of his parents’ nest, and for the first time in his life he was utterly alone.  He didn’t _want_ to be alone.

“I don’t care,” he proclaimed recklessly.  “Kiss me.”

Reika didn’t.

“You don’t have to force yourself to sleep with me just so you’ll have a place to stay tonight, Takkun.  I have a spare futon that you’re welcome to for as long as you need it, no questions asked.”

Takeru scowled, and suddenly tried to shove out of Reika’s grasp.

“If that’s your way of telling a guy you’re not interested….”

Reika caught him around the waist before he could escape.

“That’s not it at all.  I just… don’t want to be a risk you’ll regret taking in the morning.”

The unmistakeable tinge of bitterness in Reika’s voice made Takeru want to kiss him all the more.

“Are you gonna hurt me?” asked Takeru pointedly.

The older man’s arms tightened reflexively.

“Never!  I would _never_ ….”

“I believe you,” interrupted Takeru.

 “Y-you do?” Reika faltered.

Takeru nodded.

“For one thing, you’re friends with Kouki-san.  He’s too good of a person to be friends with anyone who’s cruel,” he reasoned, snuggling closer to Reika again.  “And for another thing, if you were an asshole, you would have just kept your mouth shut and let me kiss you.  The fact that you actually care enough about someone you just met to worry about me…”

His voice waivered, and abruptly he buried his face against Reika’s shoulder.  Reika could feel the fabric of his shirt growing damp.

“Hey.  It’s okay, Baby.  Everything’s going to be okay.”

Reika held Takeru closer, shielding him as best he could from inquisitive glances, and anxiously scanned the crowd for Kouki.  The blond was nowhere to be seen. 

Typical.

Just then the mobile in his pocket vibrated.

**I’m taking Hikachu home. You and Takkun have fun! (** **ゝω** **･)** **ﾉ**

Reika shook his head.  So that was Kouki’s game: playing match-maker.

“Come on, Takkun,” he murmured against the younger man’s crown.  “A viper’s nest might not be what you’re used to, but it’s dry and warm.  We can figure everything else out tomorrow, ne?”

A soft harrumph followed a loud sniff, then Takeru gave a noncommittal shrug.

“If I come with you, will you let me kiss you some more?”

Reika couldn’t help the jolt of electricity that shot along his spine, and before common sense was able to stop him, he answered:

“I’d let you do whatever you like to me, Takkun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** Takeru is reportedly 162cm while Reika is 175cm. Not sure that makes him a "scrap", but...[cuties](https://78.media.tumblr.com/d5dd54df319fec2f65a60d146e07c93d/tumblr_pauswg2q6V1t1g7g5o1_500.jpg).  
>  **2)** I've used Kouki's [alleged](https://adawinry.livejournal.com/181814.html) surname. Accurate? Who knows.  
>  **3)** Legal drinking age in Japan is 20; Takeru is 19 here.  
>  **4)** Reika is the only one of his siblings who is venomous. I plan on explaining further in the last chapter.


	4. Natsume/TACC

Snakes aren’t typically fraternal creatures, so it always surprised people who knew the truth about their heritage to discover how close Natsume was to his three older brothers.  Truthfully, he had idolized them from the moment he first opened his eyes, and they’d adored him in return.  It had been hard on him, being the baby of the family, learning to live without them as one by one they found jobs, moved out, settled down.  Well, _technically_ Umi was the only one settled down, but they all knew it was just a matter of time with Reika and Takeru.

Natsume sighed, glancing down at his watch.  Waiting for Umi at the university entrance had become something of a habit.  They both took the same route home in the evenings; it made sense for him to stay a bit longer at the library so they could make the trip together.  That day, in particular, he _needed_ the company.

“It’s over with Kari,” Natsume blurted out as soon as Umi was within earshot.

Umi bit back the reply that was on the tips of his tongue.  When your baby brother tells you he’s just broken up with his girlfriend, it’s considered rude to say “About time”, no matter how much the rest of the family disliked her.

“What happened?” he asked instead.

Natsume scuffed his shoes along the pavement in frustration.

“I don’t even know, Nii-san.  One second she was complaining about her sister’s boyfriend; the next thing I knew, she’s shouting that my expecting her to think about things rationally is _manipulative_.  That she shouldn’t _have_ to give anyone the benefit of the doubt or justify hating someone.  All I _said_ was that maybe the guy hadn’t actually intended to offend her….”

Natsume continued pouring his exasperation out as they strolled toward the train station.  He wasn’t as upset about the break-up as he might have been.  In fact, he’d been feeling for a few weeks that things probably weren’t going to work out with Kari.  Still, it chafed, and Umi was always a sympathetic ear.

“…And _then,_ ” he concluded indignantly, “She called me a ‘snake in the grass’.”

Umi, who had only been half-listening to Natsume’s tirade, turned in dismay.

“Don’t tell me you _told_ her!” he exclaimed.  “Or was it just a lucky guess?”

“Apparently she meant it rhetorically,” Natsume replied with a shake of the head.  “Nearly gave me a heart-attack, though.  Of all the people to say something like that to!”

Though neither said it, both were thinking that Kari was the last person in the world they’d want their secret revealed to, and not only because she was a primate.  Further proof that it wasn’t meant to last.

“You’re so lucky,” sighed Natsume wistfully.  “Why can’t I find someone like Yuh-san?”

Umi’s face softened into a smile at the thought of his partner.

“Yes, I’m incredibly lucky.  But don’t give up so easily, Natsu-kun.  You’re not even 20 yet.  There’s still plenty of time to find someone.”

“By the time you were my age, you and Nii-san had been together 11 years already!”

“We had not,” Umi contradicted.  “We’d _known_ each other that long, sure, but it wasn’t anything other than a one-sided infatuation on my part for years.”

Natsume shook his head.

“That’s not how Yuh-nii tells it.”

As they slowed their pace near the street corner, the sharp scent of fear hit Natsume’s palate full-force.  Umi must have tasted it as well, because he slid his glasses down his nose, searching.

“That way,” he pointed down a dingy little side-street.

Locating the source of the acrid smell wasn’t difficult.  The alley followed a shallow curve, and just beyond the bend was a gang of six rough-looking boys cawing raucously as they shoved something back and forth among them.  Natsume caught a glimpse of lavender-grey hair between the broad shoulders of the ruffians.

Not some _thing_ – some _one_.

“P-please don’t!” a soft voice squeaked miserably.  “N-not my sketchbook!”

A blizzard of loose paper was thrown like confetti into the air, and before Natsume even realized what he was doing, he spat out:

“Leave him alone!”

Six pairs of eyes turned to stare at him.  The boy being bullied immediately dropped to the ground to salvage as many of his sketches as possible during the momentary distraction.

“Mind your own business” the biggest brute retorted, eyes narrowing.

Umi drew up shoulder to shoulder with his brother.

“A bunch of vultures tormenting a helpless kid _is_ our business,” he declared levelly.  “I think it’s time you left.”

Several of the miscreants seemed inclined to listen to Umi, who unlike Natsume had the commanding aura of ‘adult’ about him.  Two or three even glanced over their shoulders in search of a quick escape.  But their leader was either too proud or too stupid to catch on.

“Or what?” he challenged, puffing out his chest.

Natsume’s eyes flashed chartreuse, and for an instant, he could imagine himself taking that smug idiot by the throat and squeezing the very breath out of him.  

“Or you’ll s-s-see jus-s-st how dangerous-s-s we can be when piss-s-s-s-ed off!” he hissed.

Evidently, they recognized the murderous light in his eyes, because they scattered like the frightened birds they were, leaving Natsume coiled but unable to strike.

“There’s no need to be tremble so, little mouse.  You’re safe now.”

Umi’s low, soothing voice recollected Natsume to himself.  Once his vision cleared, he went to one knee, helping to gather the rest of the boy’s scattered belongings. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, trying to replicate Umi’s gentleness with limited success.  “Did they hurt you?”

Despite the redness rimming the victim’s wide, dark eyes and the splotches on his round cheeks, he was really adorable.  At least, he _would_ have been but for the terror still evident on his face.

“I’m fine, Mizuchi-sama,” came the whispered reply as the boy snatched away the pencil case Natsume offered. 

“We’re not mizuchi, Mausu-kun,” Umi corrected with a smile, “Just plain old hebi.”

That didn’t seem to reassure the young man in the slightest.

_Nii-san wasn’t being metaphorical when he called him ‘little mouse’_ , Natsume realized.

“I’m sorry I lost my temper and frightened you,” Natsume offered, easing closer.

The boy shrank back.

Natsume and Umi could both see his temperature spike as adrenaline pumped through him.  Fight or flight, and no mouse was going to face down two snakes.  Sure enough, he jumped to his feet and tried to scurry past them, only to collapse with a yelp a few strides away, his ankle turned by a misstep on one of the paving stones.  Natsume was at his side in an instant.

“N-no, please.  I’m f-fine.  I-it’s n-n-nothing, really,” the boy chattered breathlessly, scrambling backward on his hands.

Natsume held up his hands in surrender.  Was his appearance really so upsetting?  Or was this young man just _that_ used to being abused by others?

“Hey, it’s okay!  I won’t lay a hand on you; I swear.” 

The boy clutched his bag over his chest as if it would shield him from danger.  He looked so small and frightened, Natsume wanted nothing more than to scoop him up in a warm, protective hug.  He didn’t attempt it.  Instead, he tried to make himself non-threatening as possible.

“My name’s Natsume, and that’s my older brother Umi.”

“…Takuya…Tacc.”

“Very nice to meet you, Takkun.  It looked like maybe you twisted your ankle?  Do you think you can stand?”

The attempt drew a pathetic whimper from the boy.  A few pedestrians hurrying past cast a second glance their way, but not one of them bothered to stop.

Umi pulled his mobile from his pocket.

“Ne, Häschen, could you come meet us near our station?  There’s something Natsu-kun and I could use your help with.  Okay, I’ll text you.”

Meanwhile, Natsume sat on the pavement with Tacc.

“Did I hear you say that’s your sketchbook?  Are you an art student?”

“N-not yet.  N-next year maybe… i-if my exam score is high enough….”

Tacc was working up the courage to attempt another escape from his would-be rescuers when a lithe figure appeared.  Tacc felt immense relief that the pretty newcomer wasn’t another reptile.  Hare, he thought, judging by the lean, powerful legs.

Yuh greeted Umi with a brief kiss, and Natsume watched with some amusement the surprise spread over Tacc’s face.

“You needed me?” queried Yuh.

“Always,” Umi replied just to see the blush spread over Yuh’s cheeks.

Then he pointed down at Natsume and Tacc on the ground.

“This is Takuya-kun; Takkun, this is my partner, Yuh.  Takkun seems to have twisted his ankle.”

Yuh’s gentle reproach that they might have just taken the boy to a clinic died as he grasped how the situation stood – frightened mouse surrounded by strangers.

“Hello, Takuya-kun,” Yuh greeted, shooing Natsume away so he could crouch down at the patient’s side.  “Would it be okay if I took a look at your ankle?”

Tacc relaxed his white-knuckle grip on his bag a bit.

“I-it’s really okay, Sensei, just a little sore.”

“I’m no doctor,” Yuh corrected.  “I just played a lot of football as a kid.  What happened?”

“I stepped wrong on one of the pavers.”

Yuh nodded sympathetically.

“Did you feel a pop?”

Tacc hesitated.

“I don’t think so.  I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Yuh tilted his head.

“You’d have noticed the sort of pop I mean.  Is it okay to feel?”

He waited for Tacc’s permission before taking up the boy’s ankle and feeling along the bone, rotating the joint carefully.  Natsume and Yuh scrutinized Tacc’s face for signs of pain; Umi observed his brother.

_It seemed Kari had entirely vanished from his thoughts.  Good riddance!_

“It doesn’t seem like anything more serious than a strain to me.  What were you running from?  The two of you didn’t scare him, did you?”

Yuh glared reproachfully at his lover and younger brother.

“Not intentionally, Nii-san,” Natsume pouted.

Something about seeing the reptile humbled struck Tacc as so funny that he couldn’t help but giggle.  The sound made Natsume’s heart skip a beat.

“Good.  I won’t have you intimidating a family member.”

“Lagomorphs and rodents are separate orders,” Umi pointed out.

“Same clade,” waved Yuh dismissively.  “Let’s not quibble over taxonomy.”

“Anyway, we just happened to notice he was having trouble with some … classmates, I’d guess.”

Tacc’s smile disappeared instantly, which caused Yuh to frown.

“Has that ever happened before?”

Tacc muttered something like “Only sometimes” and struggled to his feet, tugging his bag over his shoulder as he went.  He wobbled a bit, and Natsume at once stepped forward to steady him, only to have Tacc practically fall over attempting to back away from him.  With a slight jerk of the head, Yuh directed him to back off, offering the necessary support himself.

“You don’t have to be afraid of them,” Yuh murmured as the four of them walked slowly toward the station.  “I was scared of Umi at first, too, but he and his brothers are all incredibly sweet.  Not like most predators at all.”

Tacc gave Yuh a wry smile.  Yuh returned it much more warmly.

“I don’t expect you to take my word for it,” he continued.  “I just… want you to know I understand.  And if you ever need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to ask Natsume-kun for my number.”

Tacc’s cheeks flushed crimson.

“I… d-doubt I’ll ever see Natsume-san again.”

“Oh, aren’t you one of his classmates?”

Tacc shook his head.

“I’ve never seen him before in my life.”

“Well in _that_ case….”

Yuh dug in his back pocket and produced a business card.

“Take this, just in case you ever need it.”

The awkward wait on the platform became an uneasy ride on the same train, which became even _more_ uncomfortable when they all disembarked at the same exit.

“W-would you like some company home,” Natsume offered hopefully.  “I mean i-in case your ankle decides to give out again.”

Tacc bit his lip.

“I… don’t think my parents would like that,” he replied nervously.

Natsume grimaced, but Umi nodded in understanding.

“Snakes aren’t welcome in a mouse nest.  We understand.  Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes, thank you, Umi-san,” Tacc offered a slightly shaky bow.  “And thank you for… earlier.”

Natsume gave a soft hiss as they watched him trail off down the street, step after careful step. 

“All right, Natsu-kun?” questioned Yuh.

“That…,” he said slowly, “… is the person I’m going to marry… if he’ll let me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** As far as I know, none of these boys has split his tongue IRL. But their tongues are forked here.  
>  **2)** Umi uses the loan word ["mausu"](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%BC%A0#Usage_notes) rather than the Japanese "nezumi", and calls his honey "häschen"... bunny. I'm rationalizing that he would have picked up random bits of German from Yuh over the years.  
>  **3)** [Mizuchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizuchi) are dragon-like dieties of Japanese legend. Much more intimidating than regular old snakes. TACC was being overly deferential because he was scared.  
>  **4)** Rabbits/hares are lagamorphs, not rodents, but both are in the same grand-order [Glires](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glires).


	5. Natsume/Tacc, part 2

For two weeks after Natsume and Umi stepped in to rescue him, Tacc saw no signs of his assailants, although he was filled with apprehension every evening as he left his cram school.  At first, he attributed their absence to residual fear of the reptiles.  But terrifying as Natsume had been when his true nature was exposed, Tacc didn’t actually believe it enough to be a long-term deterrent.

_Where had they gone?  Were they waiting around the next corner?  Planning something more elaborate and humiliating for next time?_

Tacc got answers to some of his questions a few evenings later when a shadowy figure just beyond the halo of the street light caught his eye.  At first, he thought it was one of the bullies, and was half-way back through the academy door before it occurred to him that the body shape was wrong.  Although, it _was_ a shape he recognized.

Natsume.

_Why did his brain know Natsume’s form?!_

Natsume apparently realized he’d been spotted, because he extricated himself from his hiding place and approached Tacc cautiously.

“Hello, Takkun,” he greeted.

Tacc watched him warily but returned the greeting as politeness requires.

“Hello, Natsume-san.”

“I guess you’re probably wondering what I’m doing here,” Natsume grinned self-consciously.  “I haven’t been stalking you, I swear!” 

The corner of Tacc’s mouth twitched, as if he wanted to smile but didn’t feel sure enough whether Natsume was joking to chance it.  Or maybe it was a grimace he was holding back.

“I did… wonder what brought you here,” he tentatively allowed.  “A-and… how long….”

Natsume’s cheeks turned pink.

“Uhm… the last three days.”

Tacc’s eyes went very wide.  He’d meant how many _minutes_ Natsume had been loitering.

“Th-three days?” he squeaked.  “Why!”

“I thought maybe… you might let me walk with you to the train station.”

“Oh, that isn’t n-necessary, thank you, Natsume-san,” Tacc stuttered.  “M-my classmates h-haven’t been giving m-me any more t-trouble.”

“That’s not why I wanted to,” sighed Natsume, “Although I’m happy to protect you should you need it.”

“Then why?” Tacc repeated, thoroughly bemused.

_Because I like you and want you to like me back._

Natsume knew he couldn’t say anything that blunt without scaring Tacc off.

“Because I want to get you know you.  I’d like a chance to… prove I’m not the uncontrolled menace I appeared to be around your classmates.  Or… that I look like now, following you around.”

Tacc hesitated.  Yuh-san had assured him that Natsume could be trusted, and Tacc could tell the hare was sincere in his belief.  But snakes were dangerous.  They almost couldn’t help it; it was their nature, after all.  Just as it was Tacc’s nature to run from danger as fast as his legs could carry him.  Besides, what would people think or say if they saw him in Natsume’s company! 

“You’re allowed to say ‘no’,” Natsume interrupted his thoughts.  “Yuh-ani warned me you might not like it.  I won’t be angry at you if it would be too uncomfortable to be around me.”

_Disappointed, but not angry._

He didn’t disguise his unhappiness very well, and it sparked Tacc’s compassion and confusion.

_Why did such a powerful hunter like Natsume even cares about a mouse’s opinion?_

“J-just to the station?” Tacc heard himself ask.

Natsume’s face lit with hope.  It was… kinda cute.

“Sure, if that’s as far as you want me to go.”

Tacc nodded slowly.

“O-okay.”

 

Instead of waiting for Umi at the university gates, Natsume met up with Tacc every evening after class for the next five months and walked him to the station, even as the days grew shorter and the weather turned bitter.   More than once Tacc urged Natsume not to trouble himself, fearful his guardian would become ill from exposure to cold.  But Natsume always misinterpreted Tacc’s appeals as motivated by fear or boredom with Natsume’s company, and inevitably Tacc would end up sputtering protestations and apologies until he’d convinced Natsume not to leave off their routine.

Funny, that.  Those first few days, Tacc was so nervous he’d have given anything for Natsume to abandon his enterprise.  Yet, somewhere in the scraps of conversation and companionable silent, Tacc had grown accustomed to Natsume’s presence.  Even, dare he say it, _fond_ of it.  Yuh-san had been right.  Natsume was sweet.  And so terribly attentive to Tacc’s mental and physical comfort.  Voice kept low and calm, movements slow and non-aggressive, ample physical distance maintained, and the endearing habit of “But only if you want to” appended to every question he asked or suggestion he made.

It wasn’t until Tacc completed his university entrance examination in January that Natsume asked the sort of question he’d been aiming for since they’d met: whether Tacc liked bubble tea at all, and if he would be interested in trying a new shop that had opened a block from where they usually parted ways.  Attached as he had inadvertently grown to the gentle viper, Tacc needed three additional days to chew on every potential consequence before he finally found the courage to say ‘yes’ to their first real date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** The school year in Japan begins in April, and the national university entrance exam is usually administered in January.  
>  **2)** This... was not supposed to get its own chapter. *throws hands in the air helplessly*


	6. Hirotaka/Shindy

After several years in Information Technology, one might have guessed that Hirotaka would have seen every ridiculous mistake there was to see.  Mysterious emails from anonymous strangers opened without thought, executives complaining because the company firewall blocked the porn they wanted to watch on their lunch break, hold-outs from the pre-digital age who insisted on having their secretaries print off every email and dictating replies rather than just typing themselves. 

Still, it irked him that a vice-president pulling in six figures a year thought it was an efficient use of time to harass IT with demands that they “do something to this worthless computer”.  Whoever had taken the message hadn’t been able to obtain any specifics beyond the claim that the machine was “unforgivably slow”, and they’d better fix it or replace it immediately!  Despite the alleged urgency of the request, or more honestly _because_ of it, Hirotaka strolled leisurely down the corridor toward the elevator and pressed the button for floor 18.  No sense winding himself by taking the stairs.

The foyer leading to the executives’ suites on the eighteenth floor was larger than IT’s department and storage closets combined.  There was an enormous lounge with several comfortable-looking sofas, a coffee bar, a flat-screen television currently showing projected numbers from the American and Chinese stock exchanges, and a small jungle of potted plants that may or may not have been plastic.  Hirotaka debated for a moment whether he could get away with stealing a cup of coffee; the stuff available downstairs tasted like crude oil. 

Maybe after he forestalled this woman’s imaginary crisis.

The door to suite 5 was closed, so he tapped politely and waited.  There was no reply.  He knocked again, a bit louder.  Still nothing. He peaked through the window.  The lights were on, and he could hear the muffled whir of electronics.  He tried the door handle and found it unlocked.

“Someone sent for IT?” he called, poking his head in.

“Well it’s about time!” came a smug reply behind him.

Hirotaka nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around to face the person speaking.  And then his jaw practically unhinged at the beautiful creature standing there.  He had dark eyes perfectly accented with black liner, long curling auburn hair past his shoulders, and plush lips stained the same red as his velvet suit jacket.  Hirotaka was staring; he _knew_ he was staring, and that he ought to _stop_ staring before he made the young man uncomfortable.  Although, the longer he stared, the more self-satisfied the man’s expression became.

“Do you need me to leave so you can breathe again?” he teased.

Hirotaka could feel his cheeks turning scarlet, which was quite a feat for an ectotherm.

“S-s-sorry,” he stammered, voice far too sibilant for his liking.  “D-did you call about a computer problem?”

The young man looked him up and down slowly, appraisingly, eyes lingering unprofessionally around the groin.  Hirotaka squirmed, but accepted the ogling as payback.  Then the auburn beauty tilted his chin up and met Hirotaka’s eyes impudently.

“Tominigana-san sent the request.  I’m her personal assistant:  Shin Daiji, but you can call me Shindy like everyone else does.”

He held out his ring-studded hand, palm down as if he expected Hirotaka to kiss it rather than shake it.  Hirotaka bowed instead.

“I’d be happy to do whatever I can to correct the problems she’s having.”

Still looking supremely amused, Shindy directed the tech into the suite, closing the door behind them.

“The problem she’s having,” Shindy confided once they couldn’t be overheard, “Can be summarized in one word: stupidity.  She has decided that notifications about updating software and programs and virus definitions are just suggestions to be ignored or postponed for 9 to 10 months at a time.  _And_ has given me strict orders that I’m not to waste my time on them either.”

Hirotaka groaned in annoyance.

“This is why updates are supposed to be automatic for all employee devices.”

“Yeah, she bribed someone to turn that off,” Shindy rolled his eyes.  “Too ‘disruptive’.  I’ve gotten away with setting mine to update when I leave for the evening, so that the requisite reboot is first thing in the morning before she’s even in the office, but I can’t do that on her machine.”

Hirotaka settled himself on a drafting stool before a bank of three flat screen monitors and gave the mouse a small poke.  Harsh neon blue filled the screens with a password prompt at the centre.

“Please tell me she left you her password.”

Shindy grabbed the receiver from the nearby telephone and entered in a series of numbers so fast his fingers were a blur.

“Tominigana-san, the tech needs your password to correct your computer problem.  No, Sensei, he can’t log in as a guest.  We don’t know _how_ long it will take until he assesses the issue, and he can’t do that until he’s logged in.”

Hirotaka closed his eyes and took a deep breath, intending to count to ten to avoid losing his temper the way his father had taught him as a boy.  Doing so was a mistake, because the instant Shindy’s scent hit his tongue, his instincts went on high alert.

_Predator!_ they screamed.  _Bite it!_

The impulse grew even stronger as Shindy leaned over him toward the keyboard.

_Danger!  Strike now before it’s too late._

“Yes, Tominigana-san, I’ll make sure to keep an eye on everything.  Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

_Calm down_ , Hirotaka reproached himself.  _There’s nothing to get so flustered about.  This is a professional setting.  He’s not a threat.  Besides, he’s not a large predator; just a mongoose.  Or a marten.  A marten wouldn’t try to attack a habu; that would be suicide.  Not that any of us aside from Reika-nii got any of the benefits of the habu genetics, but still…._

“Ahem!”

“Wha-?”

“You’re logged in now,” repeated Shindy briskly.

Hirotaka’s face went hot again.

“Right.  Thanks.  D-don’t let me keep you from whatever you need to do.”

Shindy’s eyes twinkled, obviously enjoying how much he was flustering the other man.

“Sorry, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to stay here and keep an eye on you.  It seems she doesn’t trust you unsupervised.  Dunno why.  You’d only be making more work for yourself if you broke something.”

“Th-that’s fine,” Hirotaka shoved his glasses further up his nose.  “I only meant like if you… need to make calls or something, I won’t be making any noise.”

“Maybe in a minute.  I want to see just how bad this poor thing is first.”

The ‘poor thing’ was in miserable shape.  There were literally hundreds of pending updates, and if the antivirus program was to be believed, no one had run a scan in nearly a year.

“Good gods!” exclaimed Shindy, peering over Hirotaka’s shoulder.  “No wonder it takes the damned thing half an hour to boot.”

Hirotaka focused intently on the screens, hoping against hope that the ‘tech geek’ part of his brain would obscure the animal instincts freaking out about Shindy’s proximity and his single-and-bisexual-guy psyche lamenting how very out of his league the gorgeous assistant was.

“I’ll probably have to do the installs in batches,” the tech mused aloud, “So it doesn’t crash part-way through.  Which means this could take all day.  Although, if I start with the most recent stuff, maybe some of these older notifications will be rendered unnecessary.”

“I don’t mind if you’re here all day.  Stay as long as you like.”

Okay, that sounded quite a bit like flirting.  Hirotaka wasn’t used to pretty people flirting with him.  Which doubtless meant that he was misinterpreting the situation.  A marten might not attack a snake, but he wasn’t about to show any interest in one either.

The tech frowned and tapped a harder than necessary on the ‘Enter’ key.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re cute when you frown?” Shindy asked in a low, sultry voice.

Hirotaka blinked at him over the top of his glasses. 

_Was Shindy being sarcastic?_

“No.  Generally people tell me I give them the creeps when I frown.”

“Those people are idiots,” replied Shindy with a shake of the head.  “I’m going to go get some coffee.  Do you want some?”

Coffee sounded like a terrific idea, if for no other reason than it would give him a few seconds to compose himself.

“Black, please, if it’s not too much trouble.”

He didn’t watch Shindy walk out of the room, no matter how tempting it was to check out his ass.  No, Hirotaka kept his gaze firmly fixed on the computer monitors like a good boy.  Although he did give a nod of thanks when Shindy placed the coffee to Hirotaka’s left far enough away that he wouldn’t accidently spill it.

Shindy returned the nod with a wink, then settled himself on a nearby chair with a small mountain of paperwork.  As he worked, he hummed softly.  Hirotaka didn’t recognize any of the songs but found the rich timbre of the assistant’s voice quite calming.  He sipped his coffee – _much_ better than the sludge downstairs! – and focused on his task.

It was a long afternoon for both of them.  As Hirotaka had predicted, he wasn’t able to install more than a dozen updates at a time.  With each new set, the computer had to restart, which meant Shindy had to re-enter his boss’ password.  And each time he did so, he ended up invading Hirotaka’s personal space.  The first few times, he played off as accident, but eventually he gave up any pretence, thoroughly enjoying each sharp intakes of breath he elicited.

As the computer rebooted for what seemed like the fiftieth time, Hirotaka set his glasses aside to rub at his temples and the bridge of his nose, ignoring the bitter voice in his head saying ‘this is _not_ what I went to school for’.  When he reached out to retrieve the glasses, he found Shindy’s hand instead, and quickly drew back in alarm.

The assistant was propped on the edge of the work bench, one leg crossed primly over the other, twirling Hirotaka’s glasses around by the earpiece.

“Why do you wear these things?” he asked.  “Trying to look smarter?”

Hirotaka made a grab for them, but Shindy held them beyond his reach.

“I just… have to have them.”

“No you don’t.  There’s no prescription at all,” retorted Shindy, peering through the lenses.  “Your face is much too sexy to hide behind a pair of useless, ugly frames.”

Hirotaka halted his attempted retrieval. The glasses weren’t useless; he actually needed them quite a lot.  But it wasn’t exactly sensible to go blabbing one’s weaknesses to a stranger.  And he’d never thought his frames were ugly.  True, they weren’t the ¥30,000 designer frames that a fashion-editor’s assistant might buy, but _ugly_ was going too far. 

_Wait. Shindy found him sexy?!_

That brazen smirk was back on Shindy’s beautiful face as he leaned over and tucked the frames into the pocket of Hirotaka’s shirt, almost too close for comfort.  Almost.

“Mmm, much better.  Now everyone in the editing department will be after you.  Not that I intend to let them have you.”

“Let them… have me,” echoed Hirotaka blankly.

“You’re not going to pretend you haven’t noticed me hitting on you, are you?” scoffed Shindy.  “That’s tiresome.  Or have you decided I’m too dangerous to take for a drink?”

“Drink?”

Shindy smiled and rolled his eyes.

“I’ll make it easy for you.  There’s a bar on the next street – Kanchin – where I like to go after work.  If you’re there before 7, I’ll buy you a beer.  If not,” he shrugged, “I’ll assume I’m not your type and find someone else to buy for.”

Shindy turned and sauntered toward the door, leaving Hirotaka to debate with himself.  He was supposed to have dinner with his brothers and their partners.  He really shouldn’t ditch them for a stranger.  Still, they were always ribbing him about his bachelor status; maybe they’d forgive him.

“Wait!” called Hirotaka.

Shindy paused and glanced over his shoulder, eyebrow raised.

“W-what’s the address?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** [Tominaga Ai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Tominaga) is a Japanese model. I borrowed her name for Shindy's boss. Shindy has mentioned in interviews that his stage name is a nickname based on his _actual_ name so I picked 甲大治 at random.  
>  **2)** The name of the bar, かんちん, just means “canteen”. Yay, loan words.  
>  **3)** Assuming an exchange rate of $1 = ¥100 (which is actually a bit low for what it was in 2013), we're talking about $300 designer frames, which is an absurd amount of money to pay for specs.


	7. Hirotaka/Shindy, part 2

Thursday, 21 June, 5:37PM

**From: Yuh  
Sorry to hear you can’t make dinner tonight.  Don’t let them work you too hard!**

 

Monday, 12 Aug, 10:14AM

**From: Yuh  
We’ve missed you these last few weeks at trivia.  Hope you’re well!  <3**

 

Wednesday, 4 Sept, 11:20AM

 **From: Yuh**  
**Natsume is trying to get a headcount for Takkun’s art exhibit.**  
**Let one of us know how many tickets you want and which day.**

 

Today, 7:59PM

**From: Yuh  
Are you ill?  Or avoiding us?**

 

Today, 8:03PM

**From: Umi  
Hiro, please answer my partner’s texts before he drives both of us crazy trying to figure out what he did to offend you.**

 

Hirotaka slowly eased himself out from under Shindy’s arm and crept as silently as he could from the bedroom.  The flat was uncomfortably cold for him in his state of undress, so he grabbed a spare blanket from the linen closet as he passed.  Wrapping the thick fleece around himself, he scrolled through the list of favourite contacts on his mobile, and pressed the green button.

“Hiro-kun!”

“I’m not ill _or_ avoiding you, Yuh-san.”

There was a long, pregnant pause over the line.

“Are you really okay?  Umi may pretend otherwise, but he’s been worried sick about you.  We all have.”

“I’m fine, Nii-san.  And I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately.  I’ve just been….”

“Working?”

It was impossible to miss the scepticism in his brother-in-law’s voice.

“… Spending what little free time I have with my new boyfriend.”

Yuh’s worry and annoyance vanished in an instant.

“Oh, Hiro, that’s wonderful.  I’m so happy for you!  Who is he?  How did you meet?” 

Hirotaka wasn’t quite prepared to tell his family about Shindy yet.  After such a long period being single, so many ‘false starts’, he felt as if talking about how good things were was sure to jinx everything.  However, he didn’t want to hurt Yuh’s feelings by saying ‘I’d rather not talk about it’, so he gave the basics of the way he and Shindy had met and a general sense of the progress of their relationship over the past four months.  Even so, Hirotaka knew the older man well enough to sense his disappointment when more information was not forthcoming.

“When do we get to meet him?” pressed Yuh.

Down the corridor behind him, Hirotaka could hear the creak of a mattress, indicating that Shindy was finally waking from his nap.

“I… soon?”

“Hiro,” Yuh chided.

“N-next week some time?” amended Hirotaka.  “None of us has to work on Shuubun-no-hi.  You could… come over Sunday evening.”

“That’s perfect.  I’ll bring hors d’oeuvres.  Does he have any dietary restrictions?”

Hirotaka winced at the memory of the stewed rabbit dish Shindy had ordered the last time they’d gone out for Sichuan food.

“N-no, no restrictions.  He’s a meat-eater, though.”

Yuh tsked in mock disapproval.

“Fine.  I’ll include something for you blood-thirsty carnivores to gnaw on,” he joked.  “Let me coordinate with Natsume and Takeru-kun, and I’ll text you a time, okay?”

Despite his apprehensions, Hirotaka smiled at the way Yuh’s mind jumped from one thought to the next.

“Whatever you say, Yuh-san.”

A pair of warm arms slipped themselves around Hirotaka’s abdomen. 

_When had Shindy come into the room?_

“That’s what I like to hear.  Love you, Hiro.”

“Mmm, you too,” he replied rather awkwardly.  “Gotta go.  Talk soon.”

Quickly, he ended the call and tossed the mobile aside, turning to give his boyfriend a kiss.  Shindy’s disgruntled expression caused him to hesitate.

“Who was that?” the younger man asked shortly.

“My brother-in-law.”

 “Really?” Shindy’s eyes narrowed.  “Because it _sounded_ like he said ‘I love you’.”

“Yeah, he does that,” Hirotaka explained, relaxing now that he understood what had his boyfriend irritated.  “Yuh-ani lived in Europe until he was nine, and he’s… a lot more open with what he says and does than a typical Japanese guy.  We’re all used to it by now.”

“So what did he want?” Shindy asked, leading his boyfriend by the hand toward the sofa.

“He… wants to meet you.  The whole family does, actually.  Next weekend, if you’re free.”

Whatever Shindy had been expecting, that wasn’t it.

“Meet me?  Why would they care about meeting me?”

“Because we’re dating?” replied Hirotaka in a tone that said he found it obvious.

Shindy shrugged.

“So?  If anyone in my family knew you existed, they wouldn’t be asking to meet you.  Aren’t all snakes asocial?”

“What, no!  We’re really close, the seven of us.  I just… haven’t been seeing as much of them as I normally would since we started dating.”

“Seven?!” gaped Shindy.  “I thought you said you had _three_ brothers.”

“I do.  And they each have a significant other who’s as much a part of the family as my actual siblings.”

_Just like you’ll be one day, I hope._

“Even the youngest?”

Hirotaka nodded.

“Natsume and his boyfriend have been together three and a half years.  Well, technically, I guess it’s almost four now, but they weren’t official to anyone but us at first because of Takkun’s parents.”

“Did they have a problem with your brother’s age or something?”

“With his subspecies,” replied Hirotaka sadly.

“That’s ridiculous.  A snake’s a snake.  What difference does it make what particular breed…?”

His voice trailed off as he noticed Hirotaka grimace.

“He’s _not_ a snake,” Shindy corrected himself.

“No, he isn’t.”

“Lizard?”

Hirotaka shook his head, causing Shindy to purse his lips.

“Reptile?”

“Dormouse.”

For just an instant, something unreadable flashed in Shindy’s eyes.

“No wonder his parents objected.  I’m surprised _yours_ didn’t.”

Hirotaka dragged the blanket tighter around himself.

“It was more of the same by the time Tacc came around.”

An expression of curiosity came over Shindy’s face, and it occurred to Hirotaka that he probably ought to explain a few things to avoid any blunders at the first meeting.

“Uhm… I guess I should explain about my brothers-in-law….”

He told Shindy about Yuh, Takeru, and Tacc: how each had met his brothers and how their family had slowly doubled in size.  The initial resistance to inter-subspecies dating by their relatives and the homophobic backlash from some of their peers.  Hirotaka spoke with open, honest affection, and Shindy listened quietly, having no point of reference for the sort of fraternal dynamic Hirotaka was describing.  Knowing there were so many other people in the world on such intimate terms with his boyfriend sparked his possessiveness, but he pushed the emotion aside.

“Interesting that all three of them caught prey, while you chose the predator,” Shindy mused once Hirotaka finished.

“You’re not going to make any friends by calling them ‘prey’,” remarked Hirotaka dryly.  “Anyway, is that how you think of me – as your victim?”

Shindy crawled onto Hirotaka’s lap, knees on either side of his hips, arms grasping the back of the sofa on both sides of his head, hemming him in.  It set Hirotaka’s heart racing in nervous excitement.

“‘Victim’ has such negative connotations.  I’m no rapist or harasser.  But I won’t pretend I don’t love the chase.  Love taking exactly what I want from someone who’s willing to give it.  You _are_ willing, aren’t you, Hiro-san?”

Hirotaka grabbed Shindy by the backside, kneading the firm muscles reflexively.

“ _Very_ willing,” he assured.  “Just promise me you’ll tone down the ‘lethal hunter’ vibe around Takuya.  He’s still very timid with strangers, and I don’t want him to be scared of you.”

With a chuckle, Shindy nipped playfully at Hirotaka’s throat.

“I’ll behave myself, so you’d better start planning just how you’re going to reward me.”

 

Seven o’clock was the time everyone had agreed upon for their get-together, and Hirotaka spent the majority of that afternoon cleaning things that didn’t particularly need cleaning just to give himself something to focus on.  He was incredibly anxious about everyone getting along with one another.  After only four months, he was already considering his relationship with Shindy to be something long-term.  Truth be told, he’d started thinking so after only a couple of weeks, but he’d done his best not to let infatuation cloud his judgment.  Things just _had_ to go well.  Not that he would break up with Shindy if his brothers didn’t like him; plenty of people made relationships work even with disapproving family members.  That was a lot of added stress, though, and Hirotaka valued his brothers’ good opinion so if they objected … he’d probably start questioning himself.

“Someone’s lost in thought.”

Hirotaka whirled around, brandishing the feather duster in his boyfriend’s laughing face.

“Is it seven already?!” he asked in alarm.

“Just past six.  I thought I’d come over early and make sure you weren’t pacing holes in the tatami.”

“I’ll have you know my anxieties make me very productive,” Hirotaka huffed, makeshift weapon drooping a bit.

Shindy ignored this feeble attempt at a joke, shoved the feather duster aside, and wrapped his boyfriend in a vigorous hug.

“What can I do to help you relax, Hiro-san?”

He said it so sweetly and innocently, but Hirotaka wasn’t fooled for an instant.

“Do you really think now’s the time for that, what with everyone…?”

“They’re not going to be here for another hour, and we both know it’s not going to take me _half_ that long to get you off.  You’re wound tighter than an eight-day clock.”

As if to prove his point, Shindy snuck his hand down between them and gave his boyfriend an appreciative squeeze through his denims.  Hirotaka hissed in pleasure, eyes glinting peridot for an instant.

“Y-you… make a persuasive argument.”

Taking that as permission, Shindy kissed Hirotaka forcefully and deftly began unfastening his belt.  The older man allowed himself to indulge in Shindy’s eagerness for a few moments, before drawing back.

“Bedroom,” he requested.

Shindy rolled his eyes and gave Hirotaka another hard kiss.

“Oh fine.  Easier to have my way with you on a bed anyhow.”

 

If they hadn’t been so distracted, one of them might have heard the key in the lock as Yuh let himself and the others in with the spare key Hirotaka had given Umi.

“Damn, it’s freezing in here!” Reika muttered around the massive armload of cardboard boxes he bore.  “Since when does he keep the temperature so low!”

Yuh frowned at the thermostat, but left it at 20ºC.

“I think we should set everything out in the main room rather than having to wander back and forth from the kitchen, don’t you, Takkun?” he suggested, kicking off his shoes.  “You’re sure that tray’s not too heavy for you?”

“I’ve got it, Yuh-san,” smiled Tacc at the kindly hare.  “Will there be enough room on the kotatsu for everything you’ve made?”

“We can have Rei-san set up the extra card table in the corner if we need more space.”

“I think Takeru was planning on using that as his bar,” Reika mentioned.

“Oh no, we’ll want the drinks in the kitchen so the ice doesn’t make a puddle in….”

Yuh paused and stared down at a feather duster abandoned in the middle of the floor.

“What’s he up to, leaving something like that just lying around.  Hiro’s not usually that untidy.  Hir-….”

The call died on Yuh’s lips as a breathless giggle followed by a sharp groan of “gods, Shin-chan” echoed from the bedroom.

Poor Tacc’s ears went beet red, and he scurried toward the kitchen as fast as he could.

Reika’s face broke into a huge grin at the expressions on the younger men’s faces.

“Guess we shoulda called first, ne?” he stated unabashedly.

“I guess we should have,” responded Yuh.

Another low moan filled the air, and Yuh gave Reika’s shoulder a hasty shove.

“Come on; let’s drop these things off and go walk around the block for a few minutes.”

Still grinning, Reika did as he was ordered.

 

Hirotaka lay flat on his back on the bed, sweat-covered chest heaving, and stared up into the beautiful flushed face of his boyfriend, equally winded and supremely pleased with himself.

“See?  6:40 – I told you we had plenty of time.”

Shindy wiggled his hips, causing the older man beneath him to hiss at the stimulation of over-sensitive nerves.

“You were right.  Is that what you want to hear?”

Shindy nodded enthusiastically.

“Hearing I’m right is second only to you moaning ‘please’ on my list of favourite sounds.”

Just then, a thumping noise could be heard from the other room.  Hirotaka frowned.

“Did you lock the door behind you when you came in?” he asked in a low voice.

Shindy cocked his head to the side, listening.

“I… thought I did.”

The bumping noise repeated, followed by some low mumbling.  Shindy shifted so Hirotaka could get up and creep toward the door.  He stood behind it, listening and debating what he ought to do, when a familiar voice was heard from the genkan.

“Reika!  Can you come help me?  I think this bag is about to split.”

A chorus of loud “SHH!”s ensued.

Hirotaka’s blood ran cold.

“Okay so maybe I was wrong about the ‘plenty of time’,” Shindy allowed apologetically.

He ducked into the ensuite shower room for a damp cloth to clean himself up and to check his appearance in the mirror. The bit of makeup he’d put on earlier was gone, but he’d left his bag in the genkan, so he’d just have to meet his boyfriend’s family bare faced.

_Good thing I’m pretty without it._

It wasn’t until Shindy was tugging his sock back on that he realized Hirotaka hadn’t made any effort to dress.

“Hiro-san?” he murmured, running his fingers through the older man’s hair.  “Don’t you think you ought to get dressed?  Or are you all nudists?”

Hirotaka groaned and buried his face against Shindy’s chest.

“I can’t go out there.”

“I’m pretty sure they know we’re here.  We can’t hide forever.”

“We can try.”

“You’re not _ashamed_ of having sex with your boyfriend, are you?”

“You know that’s not it,” grumbled Hirotaka.

“We’re all adults,” Shindy shrugged.  “This doesn’t have to be embarrassing unless we make it so.”

It was an admirable sentiment, but there was no escaping the heavy awkwardness clouding the room when Hirotaka and Shindy emerged a few minutes later to find not just Reika and Takeru, but Yuh, Natsume, and Tacc as well.  And judging by the way Tacc seemed ready to melt into the floor, almost entirely hidden behind Natsume, it was a safe bet that they’d _all_ heard.

“I… thought you said seven,” said Hirotaka feebly.

“W-we… thought we’d come a bit early and… give you a hand,” explained Yuh with equal discomfiture.

Considering the situation, the obvious double entendre made Reika snort, and Takeru immediately smacked him on the arm, even though he too found it amusing.  Shindy chuckled silently as well, which for some reason struck Yuh as rude.  Before he could say anything more, the front door swung open again, drawing everyone’s attention.  Last to arrive, Umi stood on the threshold, taking in the peculiar scene.

“What did I miss?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** [Shuubon-no-hi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumnal_Equinox_Day) is a public holiday in Japan.


	8. Family

In the brief diversion presented by Umi’s arrival, Hirotaka made a very hasty introduction all around.  The family resemblance was strong enough that Shindy could have guessed who were Hirotaka’s brothers unassisted.  ( _Apparently good looks run in the family_ , he thought smugly.)   However, he felt sure that if he hadn’t already had names and subspecies to pair with faces, he would have been at a complete loss telling one brother-in-law from another.  To Shindy, they all just smelled like “prey”.

That impression grew even stronger as the collective draw of breath and narrowing of eyes when the tech informing everyone of Shindy’s of marten and mongoose ancestry made it clear that they knew as little about Shindy as he’d known about them.  The siblings seemed to recoil from him, and all three boyfriends instinctively drew closer to their reptilian lovers.  The youngest, ‘Tacc’ Hirotaka had called him, practically disappeared except for a tuft of dusty-violet hair and four pale fingers clutching at his partner’s sleeve. 

While it would never have occurred to Shindy to say anything to his _own_ relations about his dating habits, it irked him for some reason that Hirotaka obviously hadn’t discussed Shindy with his.  After all, if they were as close as he claimed, shouldn’t he have been bragging about his latest conquest?

Shindy was oblivious to how his irritation, projected into the already-tense atmosphere, was pushing Tacc dangerously close to a panic attack, but Yuh and Natsume both felt it.  Hoping to diffuse the situation, the hare quietly suggesting fetching drinks from the kitchen before settling down to the food he’d lain out. Tacc instantly dashed that direction, grateful for any excuse to escape, with Natsume close on his heels.  Yuh was about to offer to bring the newcomer something to ensure Shindy stayed out of the kitchen, when Hirotaka beat him to it.

“What can I get you, Shin-chan?”

Shindy motioned dismissively.

“My usual is fine.”

Yuh crossed his arms over his narrow chest.    _Who was this young man to be treating Hirotaka so casually, like his own personal servant?  And in front of his family, too!_

Umi leaned close to Yuh and whispered in his ear:

“Give him a chance, Love.”

With that Umi beckoned Takeru to follow him into the kitchen, leaving Reika and Yuh to “entertain” Shindy.

 

Umi found Hirotaka apologizing to Tacc, who was wrapped in Natsume’s shielding embrace.

“He doesn’t even notice how intimidating he is half the time,” Hirotaka was saying in a low, pacifying voice.  “But I swear you’ve got nothing to be afraid of here, Takkun.”

“Of course he doesn’t,” interposed Natsume.  “I’m here.”

Tacc gave Hirotaka a tentative smile and muttered:

“Th-thank you, Hiro-san.  I’ll… be okay in a minute.”

“You won’t have to worry about conversation, Tacchan,” Takeru predicted, petting the mouse’s hair affectionately.  “Yuh-san’s got list of questions for the new guy five metres long.”

Hirotaka scanned their faces in alarm.

“A list of questions.  Why?”

“Yuh thinks Shindy’s been intentionally keeping you away from us,” explained Umi.  “Or that you’ve been hiding _him_ from _us_.  He keeps hopping back and forth on that point.  Either way, he’s convinced there’s something fishy going on.”

Hirotaka frowned down at the shot of vodka he was pouring into the cocktail shaker.

“Why would Shin-chan try to keep me from you?”

Umi huffed.

“Rationales Yuh has come up with thus far include jealousy, homophobia, xenophobia, and sub-species elitism.”

“Shindy’s bi and a ‘higher’ predator himself,” Hirotaka interrupted. “It would be pretty hypocritical of him to reject Yuh-nii, Keru-kun, and Takkun, but expect you all to accept _him_.”

“People _are_ hypocritical, Hiro-san,” pointed out Takeru as he reached around Hirotaka for the fruit juice.  “Plus, it isn’t like you to keep secrets from us, so Yuh-nii has probably been imaging the worst.”

“In Yuh’s defence, we knew nothing about Shindy-san until this evening.”

Hirotaka rolled his eyes and smiled.  Of _course_ , Umi would come to Yuh’s defence.

“Just… don’t let Yuh-nii overdo it, please?” he requested.  “Getting to know each other is fine, but… I... really want this one to stick.”

Umi gave Hirotaka’s shoulder a squeeze.

“I’ll try.”

In the main room, Yuh tried to ignore how often his ears twitched with the mention of his name and focused his attention on Shindy, sizing the newcomer up.  He was beautiful and well-dressed, no question, but his entire manner smacked of an egoism that Yuh couldn’t stand.

Shindy didn’t notice Yuh’s disapprobation right away.  He was distracted by Reika.  With fewer new scents to catalogue now that the space had cleared, he was finally able to isolate the hint of caustic venom that clung to the eldest’s skin.  Hirotaka had mentioned they had a few habu ancestors mixed in among the green snakes; he’d neglected to mention that one of his siblings had inherited such a lethal characteristic.

 _Someone who might actually be a worthy adversary, should it come to that._  

Although, Shindy vaguely recalled that some mongooses had a natural immunity to snake venom.

_Wonder if I should get tested just to be sure…._

“See something you like?” Reika queried impudently.

Shindy smirked at the way the hare kicked at his brother-in-law.

“Just thinking that good looks run in the family,” Shindy voiced his earlier thought rather than mentioning the true direction his mind had been taking.  “Maybe I should have given snakes a try sooner.”

“Do you choose your partners based on aesthetics only, then?” challenged Yuh.

“It’s not the _only_ criteria, but being hot certainly helps,” replied Shindy nonchalantly.  “I’d think you could appreciate that, considering what they say about rabbits.”

Reika’s eyes widened in alarm, and he shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to give the newcomer a hint to let the topic drop.

“What _do_ they say about rabbits?” Yuh’s voice dripped with annoyance.

“Oh, _you_ know,” Shindy teased, unaware of his blunder.  “Insatiable sexual appetites.”

Yuh’s face was a blank mask, but all four brothers could taste his anger.  Umi materialized at Yuh’s side suddenly.

“Something wrong, Häschen?”

“I certainly can’t speak for anyone else,” Yuh retorted, momentarily ignoring his lover, “But I’m always _perfectly_ sated.”

Yuh accepted the glass from his bewildered partner’s hand and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Just getting acquainted,” he claimed glibly.

Yuh gracefully claimed a cushion at the low table and patted the space next to himself. 

“Come sit here by me, Takkun.”

Tacc hesitantly did as he was bidden, with Natsume immediately taking the seat on the mouse’s other side.  Everyone else filled in what was apparently their usual configuration, leaving Shindy no choice where to sit.

Notwithstanding the alleged list of questions five metres long, Yuh didn’t speak another word to Shindy as the bowls and platters of delicious-looking food were passed.  In fact, the entire conversation as they ate seemed to pointedly exclude Hirotaka’s new boyfriend.  Shindy didn’t have any particular interest in the discussion, so he didn’t mind keeping quiet.  Still, he couldn’t help noticing how often phrases like “I haven’t had a change to tell you” or “you should have been there” or “we missed you” cropped up.  And perhaps it was just Shindy’s imagination, but it seemed like every time they did, cold judgmental eyes would shoot a disapproving glance his way.  As if Hirotaka’s absence was solely _his_ fault.  Worse still, his boyfriend always responded with “yeah, sounds like fun”, “shame I missed it”, or “wish I’d been there”.

Shindy began to worry.  His boyfriend had mentioned several times how close he was to the rest of his family.  Was he actually beginning to regret those evenings spent with Shindy instead of his siblings?  Now that it was obvious how poorly he fit in, would they try to talk Hiro into breaking it off?  The idea of Hirotaka ending things brought a lump to Shindy’s throat.  Quite a change from his typical “there are plenty of other fish in the sea” attitude.  Ironic, that he‘d finally realized he had something he wanted to keep long-term just as he was facing the prospect of losing it.

Well, he’d just have to find a way to make them like him after all.

Shindy nibbled on a nikuman and watched his boyfriend’s family intently, trying to grasp the dynamics.  On Hirotaka’s right was Reika with his little bird perched happily on his knee.  Takeru chattered animatedly with everyone, constantly teasing and flirting with his lover, and seemed completely immune to the primal warnings that _must_ have been triggered by the acrid scent of venom engulfing him.

Trust – there was absolute trust between them.  Unlike in Shindy’s own relationship with Hirotaka, who still involuntarily tensed whenever Shindy made a sudden move.

To Shindy’s left were the second brother and his hare lover snuggled comfortably together: Umi’s arm draped casually around Yuh’s shoulder, while Yuh’s hand rested easily on Umi’s thigh.  They exuded the harmony of a couple who had been together so long they knew each other as well as they knew themselves.  And everything about the way Umi spoke to and treated Yuh proved that he truly thought of his partner as an equal. 

Shindy wasn’t sure how he felt about that.  Enlightened modern thinking told him that one’s subspecies didn’t dictate one’s position in a relationship.  And yet didn’t Nature divide everyone into “the hunters” and “the hunted”?  He peaked at Hirotaka out of the corner of his eye, remembering his lover’s question:

_Is that how you think of me – as your victim?_

Fine, so maybe things weren’t always as black and white as all that. 

They certainly weren’t when it came to the shy little mouse.  Tacc sat sheltered between his boyfriend and the hare, with the kotatsu firmly between him and Shindy.  Unlike the other siblings, the youngest brother’s posture was one of calculated defensiveness; Natsume sat a bit forward, obviously leaving space for Tacc to duck behind and escape if he so desired.  They maintained a few centimetres distance between themselves, and though they held hands, Shindy could see very plainly that Natsume had laid his hand out palm up: an invitation that Tacc was able to decline at a moment’s notice.

Protective, but not possessive.

 

The friendly dialogue didn’t disguise the undercurrent of uneasiness flowing through the room.  Hirotaka kept shifting back and forth, as if he were sitting on a chestnut burr, while Umi, Reika, and Yuh held some sort of non-verbal conversation.  Finally, when Takeru paused to pop another umeboshi into his mouth, Reika leaned toward their host and requested:

“Would you mind turning the heat up a bit, Hiro?  Or maybe grabbing some blankets from the closet so we don’t all freeze to death?”

Hirotaka seemed ashamed as he hurried toward the thermostat and increased the temperature.

“Sorry, Nii-san.”

Shindy didn’t understand the reaction at all.

“Feels normal in here to me,” he observed.

Yuh gave Shindy a pointed look.

“Optimal ambient temperature for them is 24ºC, though Hiro tends to like it a bit warmer than that.  At least he _used_ to.”

Shindy didn’t miss the implication that _he_ was the reason Hirotaka had been living in uncomfortable conditions. He was a little annoyed as he slipped off his blazer, carefully folding it in half and draping it over one of the emptier shelves on a nearby bookcase. 

_He never said anything.  How was I to know?_

Before Hirotaka could sit back down, Yuh leaned over to whisper something in Umi’s ear.

“Hiro-kun, where are your glasses?” Umi asked.

His voice was mellow, without any accusatory tone, but Hirotaka still fidgeted restlessly.

“Bedroom, probably,” he waved a hand vaguely.

“You should put them back on now that you’re… out of the shower.”

Hirotaka shook his head and resumed his seat.

“I- it’s fine.  Shin-chan doesn’t really like them, so… I’m fine without them for now.”

Shindy frowned at his boyfriend’s answer, and he grew even more confused when arms began crossing over chests and tongues began tsking in censure.

“He’d rather you do permanent damage to yourself?” Takeru scorned.

Shindy’s irritation mounted.  What the hell were they talking about? What damage?  He didn’t like that everyone else seemed to understand his boyfriend so much better than he did.

“It’s really _not_ fine, Hiro,” denied Umi gently.  “Even these incandescent bulbs can have a negative cumulative effect.”

“What effect?” Shindy interposed, gaze shifting from Yuh’s judgmental face to Hirotaka and back.  “They’re just blank lenses.”

Now, Yuh’s stern look was turned on Hirotaka.

“You never told him?”

Shindy really wanted to stamp his foot, he was that frustrated.

“Told me _what_?!”

Hirotaka stared at the floor, obviously not inclined to clarify things.

“They would look like blank lenses to you,” Umi agreed when it was clear his younger brother was going to hold his tongue.  “But they’re ultraviolet filters.  It’s… rather technical, but it has to do with the way our eyes process light.” 

“I’m not an imbecile,” Shindy snapped.  “Explain it to me.”

Again, Hirotaka made no effort to elaborate, so Umi went on:

“Snakes that hunt in daylight have lenses that filter out UV rays; those that are nocturnal hunters don’t have those filters and actually process some of the UV light.  Because of our mixed genetics, Hiro and I didn’t get the UV-filtering lenses, which means our eyes and brains try to process things on that end of the spectrum.  Hence the glasses.”

Shindy listened in surprised fascination.

“But if that’s what you’re bodies are designed to process, why do you need glasses to filter it out?”

“They _can_ process it, yeah,” acknowledged Reika.  “But you know how uncomfortable it is to be at the beach or in the snow all day without sunglasses.  And that’s just the visible spectrum.”

“It would be like spending the day standing next to a jackhammer,” Umi elaborated.  “Do you hear it?  Sure.  Do you wish you didn’t?  No question.  Days I forget my glasses, I run the risk of headache, nausea, dizziness, stiff muscles in my neck from tilting my head at odd angles.”

Shindy couldn’t hide his frustration any longer.

“No wonder your brothers hate me!  Why didn’t you tell me you needed them?!”

“You said they were ugly,” Hirotaka mumbled.  “I figured I could do without them for the few hours we spend together.”

Shindy smacked a hand to his own forehead with a groan.

“I was _flirting_ with you, Hiro-san.” 

“O-oh.”

“They looked like blanks to me, so I thought you were just hiding behind them, and…” he shook his head.  “I don’t _actually_ think you look ugly.  You aren’t capable of looking ugly – with or without the glasses.”

Yuh gave Hirotaka a repentant look before addressing his new boyfriend.

“We… don’t _hate_ you, Shindy-san.  We’re just… wary because we don’t know you yet… and admittedly a bit over-protective.   At least, I am.”

“Why wouldn’t you be protective!  From your perspective, he’s been blinding himself and freezing and foregoing time with people he obviously care about immensely when he could have just….  talked to me.  Why didn’t you _talk_ to me, Hiro-san?  Don’t you trust me?”

Shindy’s tone was so full of disappointment and uncertainty that Hirotaka couldn’t bring himself to look his boyfriend in the eye.  He shrugged half-heartedly, staring intently into his cup, and muttered:

“Didn’t want to give you an excuse to leave.”

That shot an arrow right through Shindy’s heart.  He didn’t care if his boyfriend’s entire family was watching.  He reached right over, grabbed Hirotaka by the neck, and drew him into a smouldering kiss.  Strong arms immediately wound around him, a surprisingly warm chest pressed against his own as Shindy was drawn into his lover’s lap.  

Having already witnessed one intimate encounter that day, the others made a discreet exit, congregating in the kitchen under the guise of needing refills. Which didn’t stop Yuh and Takeru from lingering just beyond the door, eavesdropping.

“If I _ever_ meet the assholes that made you this insecure,” Shindy growled, “I’m gonna tear their tonsils out with my teeth.  Though I suppose I ought to be grateful they didn’t recognize what a good thing they had.”

Plush lips grazed over Hirotaka’s neck, drawing a sigh of pleasure from him.

“Sh-shin….”

“Listen to me.  You don’t need to _change_ for me to want to be with you, okay?   Don’t _ever_ feel like you aren’t good enough for me just the way you are.  As if _I’m_ anyone important.”

“But you _are_ important,” protested Hirotaka weakly.  “You’re the most important thing that’s ever happened to me, and I….”

_I love you._

The words remained unspoken, but they were there sparkling in Hirotaka’s eyes.  Shindy felt the constrictor-like hold on his heart tighten.

“You know I never meant to hurt you: physically or otherwise.”

“I know,” Hirotaka acknowledged.

“Especially in front of….”

“I know.”

“If I’d realized, I never would have….”

Hirotaka interrupted him with another kiss and a breathy laugh:

“Baby, I _know_.”

Shindy smiled ruefully.

“I’ll do better,” he promised.

Then turning in Hirotaka’s hold, he called toward the kitchen.

“Hear that, Yuh-san?  I promise I’ll do better.”

There was some hasty shuffling and a few giggles, then Yuh stumbled back into the main room, obviously pushed by Takeru.

“We heard you,” the sparrow acknowledged with a grin. “And we’re gonna hold you to that.  Welcome to the family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** Wow, this took far too long to finish. I'm sorry about that!  
>  **2)** For anyone wondering why Takeru refers to Hirotaka with '-san'... as I've laid things out, he's actually 2 years younger than Hiro.  
>  **3)** The bit about different snakes filtering out or processing UV light is actually [true](http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2016/september/study-sheds-light-on-snake-vision.html).  
>  **4)** I definitely borrowed the whole (stupid) argument that "Nature made men and women biologically different, so it's totally fine for society to treat them differently" for Shindy's thoughts regarding predator vs. prey. He's not a bad person, but some of his ideas need modernizing.  
>  **5)** You may be more familiar with [nikuman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikuman) as baozi or steamed pork buns. Writing food always makes Hamu hungry.  
> 


	9. Appendix: Character Gallery

**Snake Siblings** : primarily of [Sakishima green snake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakashima_green_snake) heritage, but with some [Okinawa habu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimeresurus_flavoviridis) (right) ancestory as well.  These snakes would never actually mate IRL, as they're not even from the same Family.  But I wanted the venomous genetics in there for Reika, with the pretty green colour I associate with all four of these boys.

 

**Significant Others**

Takeru: the Eurasian sparrow  


Yuh: the Japanese hare  


Shindy: the Japanese marten (with a bit of mongoose as well)  


Tacc: the Japanese dormouse  


 


End file.
